Comparison of Patients Undergoing Radial or Femoral Arterial Access for Percutaneous Catheterization-Nursing Aspects

Transradial access is a recently developed alternative for diagnostic andf interventional cardiac catheterization. We sought to compare the differences between patients that have undergone PTCA transradial and transfemoral access from the nursing point of view:

1. Anxiety levels
2. Pain at access point, pain in general and level of pain during mobility
3. Differences in feelings of embarrassement
4. Differences in satisfaction

Inclusion Criteria:

• All patients scheduled for PTCA without any exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

• Dementia
• Psychiatric patients
• Unconscious
• Minors
• Patients who had PTCA in past
• Patients who were initially scheduled for different access